Tourism and Environment: Pave the Way for Sustainable Eco-Tourism

Abstract

Tourism is the most important economic activity of each nation and it is one of the fastest growing industries of the world. The tourism industry relies on environmental, natural, and cultural resources. Tourism and environmental resources can be seen as two sides of the same coin. In economics, the demand for tourism depends upon the peace and prosperity, safe and security, free from ethnic crisis and terrorism, political and economic stability, rich in customs, culture, and tradition, history and archaeology, monuments and mountains, hill stations and heritage, transport and communication network, ethics and religion, emigration and immigration policy, value of currency and societal value, and above all guides and information. The supply of tourism depends upon natural, ecological, and environmental resources prevail in a country. For instance, the increasing demand (development) of the tourism industry yields both positive impacts on the economy in terms of earning forex, promoting business in tourism zones, exchanging cultural values, strengthening political and economic relations, and bringing multiplier effects on the economy and negative impacts on the environment in terms of damaging environment, creating pollution, spoiling atmosphere, degrading environmental values, bringing externality, depleting marine and forest eco-systems, disappearing flora, fauna, and valuable species, lessening and exploiting resources, dumping wastes, and above all importing dangerous viruses. In recent years, cultural and tourism economists advocated that eco-tourism and medical tourism for attracting tourists from both local and international. Eco-tourism that involves traveling to relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated areas with the specific objective of studying, admiring, and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as any existing cultural manifestations (both past and present) found in these areas (Ceballos-Lascurain,1991). The International Eco-tourism Society (TIES) defines eco-tourism as responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, and improves the well-being of local people. According to World Tourism Organization (WTO), eco-tourism generated revenue of some US $20 billion a year and, in combination with nature tourism, contributed to 20 % of global international travel. With this background, the academic workers have attempted to examine the need for eco-tourism, which bring economic, environmental, technological, cultural, and social sustainability.

Keywords: Eco-tourism, Sustainable Development